In the Philippines, Undas is the traditional observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, held every November 1st and 2nd. It is a time when families come together to remember and honor their departed loved ones. Cemeteries become lively gathering places filled with candles, flowers, food, and prayers. Beyond being a religious event, Undas is also a cultural tradition that reflects the deep Filipino values of family, respect for ancestors, and the celebration of life even in the face of death.
A long time ago, the people of Bacolod, a city on the island of Negros, went through very sad times. The price of sugar, their main product, dropped a lot, and later a terrible ship accident took the lives of many people from the city. Everyone felt very sad and hopeless.
But the leaders and artists of Bacolod had an idea: what if we could bring smiles back to people’s faces through a festival?
And so, in the 1980s, the Masskara Festival was born. The first celebration happened on October 19, the city’s founding day. From the very beginning, people wore big, colorful masks with one special feature: a huge, happy smile! That is why the festival is known as the “Festival of Smiles.”
The name Masskara comes from two words: “mass” (meaning a crowd of people) and “cara” (the Spanish word for “face”). So, it’s a festival full of smiling faces!
Today, more than three million people visit Bacolod every year to enjoy the festival. The most important day is the last Sunday of October, when the whole city goes out to dance, sing, and celebrate in the streets.
During the festival, there are colorful parades, beauty contests, music, and dance competitions. The dancers wear bright costumes, some even decorated with lights that glow at night. The masks are sometimes heavy and very detailed, almost like the ones you can see in Venice or Brazil.
Of course, no Filipino festival is complete without food! In the streets you can find delicious dishes like chicken inasal (grilled chicken), seafood, sweet piaya (flatbreads with caramel filling), and even pastries called Napoleones.
The Masskara Festival shows that even in sad times, people can come together, smile, and create something beautiful that the whole world can enjoy.
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